Foot-rest



(No Model.)

, E. J. SMITH.

PooT REST.' y

No. 603,155. PatentedApr. 26, 1898.

il@mm1 A Alli il w/TNEssEs.-,10 o /NVENro/ ATT HNEY,

UNITED STATES] I PATENT Finch.

ELDRIDGE-J. SMITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE SMITH FLEXIBLE CI-IAIRV MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF VIRGINIA. i

FOOT- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 603,155, dated April 26, 1898. Application file@ June 11,1897. I Serial No. 640,393. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern,.- j

Be it known that I. ELDRIDGE J. SMITH, a-

citizen of the United States, residing at Wash? ington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Rests; and I do hereby declare, the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of articles of furniture commonlyv known as foot-rests, and more particularly to that type of foot-rests which are mounted upon rockers and provided with a pivoted or oscillating top or head. I am aware that fo0t. rests of this general type are not broadly new, and it is not my intention therefore to lay claim to such generically but it is the purpose and object of my present'invention to materially improve and simplify the construction of rockingAfoot-rests, so that they will be extremelysimple in Vtheir make-up and comparatively inexpensive in manufacture.

Briefly stated, my invention consists of a rocking frame or base of simple con struction and a head or top pivoted to said frame or base, so as to freely oscillate thereon independent of the rocking movement given the latter.

The invention further consistsin providing an improved spring connection between the base and top, whereby the said top will be ynormally held in a horizontal position.

The invention further comprises a simple stop device for limiting the swinging or oscillating movement of the top or head; and, iinally, the invention consists in providing a simple and inexpensive upholstering and cushion or padding for the top or head.

To these ends the linvention consists in the novel features of construction and new arrangement of parts hereinafter deseribed,and

' more deinitely pointed out in 4the claims which conclude this specification.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my said invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had for this purpose to the accom- 5o panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rocking foot-rest'constructed in accordance wit-h my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of thejtop or head of the foot-rest with the upholstering and cushion or padding removed. v Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of one of the bracket connections between the Vbase or vframe and top or head.

Referring now to the drawings,the reference- 6o numeral l designates the rockers of my improved f0ot-rest,from which rise the upwardlycurved standards 2, which latter are joined together at their upper ends, as clearly shown in the drawings. It will be understood that there are twosets or pairs ofthe said standards, and they are each connected together by the horizontal brace-rods 3, the whole of these parts thus combining to make up a neat, simple, and very durable supporting frame 7o or base. To the upper ends or extremities of the said joined standards is pivoted the improved swinging or oscillating top or head of my foot-rest, which is slightly wider than the width of the frame yand consists of the two side pieces 4, connected together by a series of cross-rods 5, as shown in detail in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The ends of these side pieces 4 are curved or tapered downward, and their top faces are provided with a groove or cut-away 8o portion 6 along theinner edges, within which the edges of the upholstering-strip 7 are seated to prevent the exposure of the raw edge of the material, and, furthermore, to protect the said edge from wear, which in a very short period of time would be likely to fray out if it were exposed. To the under side of each side piece 4, about the center thereof, is secured in any suitable manner a connectingbracket 8 of angular form, as shown in detail 9o in Fig. 4, said brackets being loosely jointed tothe upper ends of the supporting frame or base by means of pivot-pins 9, which loose connection allows a free rocking or oscillating movement of the head or top. In order to limit the extent' of movement of the said head or top, I have provided a simple stop device for the same, which consists in cutting away a portion of the lower end of the bracket in the shape of a circular segment t0 provide loo two abutment walls or stops 10, as shown, which abutments or stops are arranged to act upon a pin or projection 12, secured to or eX- tending outward from the frame at either side in the path of the said stops. It is also very desirable to so arrange the top or head of the foot-rest that it will always tend to assume a horizontal position, and to accomplish this end I employ a piece of spring-wire 13, which is bent or coiled intermediate its ends around two pins 14, secured to the upper i11- ner faces of the uprights, as shown, in such manner that the free ends l5 of the said spring-wire will normally bear upon the under sides of the cross-rods 5. Vhile I have shown but one of these springs, it will be understood that I may employ two, and the construction of the same may vary without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It is well known that in articles of this kind the cushions and upholsteringwear outmueh sooner than the framework. Hence I have constructed these parts in a simple manner, so that they may be easily and quickly renewed with little trouble and cost. This said upholstering consists of a simple pad 1G of any suitable material, which is cut about the size of the top of the foot-rest and laid upon the cross-rods 5, and the covering-strip 7 is then tacked or otherwise secured to the side pieces 4 within the grooves, as heretofore eX- pla-ined. It will be seen from the drawings, Fig. 2, that the ends of the side pieces 4- are curved downward close to the outermost crossrods, and by this construction the padding or cushion 16 is prevented from being dislodged and is securely held in place Without the use of tacks or other fastening means. The covering-strip 7 may be composed of carpet, leather, or any other suitable material and is preferably ornamented by frin gin g at its overhanging ends, as shown.

Minor changes in the construction of my improved rocking foot-rest may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

IVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a rocking foot-rest comprising the rockers 1, each having a pair of standards 2, rising upward therefrom, the standards of each pair meeting and joined at their upper ends, horizontal brace-rods 3, connecting said standards, a top or head pivoted to the upper ends of said standards and consisting of the side pieces Ll, and series of cross-rods 5, said side pieces having downwardly-curved ends, a cushion or pad seated upon said cross-rods, and an upholstering-strip secured to the side pieces and extending downward over the curved ends whereby the cushion or pad is retained in position without other fastening means, sub.- stantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a footrest comprising a rocking frame, a top or head forsaid frame, apair of angularbrackets each having its horizontal portion secured to the underside of the top or head, and its vertical portion pivoted to the frame, a part of the vertical portion of each bracket being cut away to form stops, a pin projecting from each side of the frame in the path of the said stops to limit the oscillating movement of the head, and a spring secured to the frame and having its free ends acting upon the under side of the head on each side of its point of pivotal connection, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a footrest comprising a rocking frame, a top or head pivoted to said frame, and consisting of a pair of parallel side pieces and a series of horizontal connecting-rods, said side pieces having grooved inner edges and downwardly-curved ends, a cushion or pad seated upon said connecting-rods, and an upholstering-strip secured to the side pieces and having its side edges seated within the said grooves, said upholstering-strip being arranged to retain the cushion or pad in position without other fastening means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELDRIDGE J. SMITH.

Vitnesscs:

HUGH C. HAZARD, L. V. SWETT. 

